Matthews: Buffalo Bills forecast: Expect a 5-11 season

[shelby]

Kicking off with my annual early bird projection on the record for the 2010 Buffalo Bills following last week's release of the regular-season schedule and the college draft.
Last year, my projection was 5-11. The Bills won the final game of the season against the uninspired, playoff-bound Indianapolis Colts to finish 6-10.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100425/SPORTS03/304250019/1021/Matthews--Buffalo-Bills-forecast--Expect-a-5-11-season

[TacklingDummy]

He's optimistic.

[Historian]

Its attainable if Spiller picks up the pro game quickly, and I expect him to, as they mentioned he graduated in 3 1/2 years.

The will also need a clear-cut #1 QB to emerge out of camp. (Whoever it is)None of this QB by committe crap, and Eric Wood needs to be 100%

So 5-11 is possible.

:couch:

[ddaryl]

Sounds about right...

[NOT THE DUDE...]

im going to go out and say we actually win 9 games.... possible playoff birth.. the team has serious talent and u have to expect edwards will improve under gailey...

[elltrain22]

Its a great thing if we win 9, 10, or 11 games this year, and of course, this is what I will be hoping for. Thing is, it ain't gonna happen. I think, at best, we're looking at a 4 or 5 win team. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily b/c we'll set ourselves up for another hi draft pick, and hopefully get the franchise QB we desparetly need. Unless something wierd happens, Locker is going #1, then there is Ponder, Luck, and some other good ones out there. I really think that 2011 is where this team finally becomes a relevant team once again.

[Historian]

Now that's optimistic.

However, they still won 6 games last year, in spite of Jauron.

They may not win 9 games, but I'm thinking that they will be competitive in most....sort of like the 1986 Bills.

And look on the bright side...DJ is no longer managing the clock!

:ill:

[jamze132]

I was thinking 4-12 is in the books, then I realized that Dick is no longer here! Then I was thinking that is good for another 2-3 wins, but then I realized that our players have to learn yet another system so we are back to 4-12, my official prediction. You heard it here first!

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

5-11 is sounding about right, possibly a little optimistic. They are not in the league of the Jets and Patriots. I think they lose five of their divisional games, maybe beating the Dolphins at home. They can beat Jacksonville, Detroit, Cleveland, and Kansas City. Then again, they always seem to throw in a stinker against those teams.

[wozrob11]

jake locker here we come!

[B-DON]

we won 6 games last year with less talent and presumably way worse coaching. im saying we win 7-8 gmes and take a huge step towards a playoff birth the following year.

[justasportsfan]

5-11 would be awesome

[Historian]

we won 6 games last year with less talent and presumably way worse coaching. im saying we win 7-8 gmes and take a huge step towards a playoff birth the following year.

It's conceivable.

I just think that it depends on Gailey. Is he real HC material?

I think its clear that Nix is a good football mind, so we may be halfway there, but I'm unconvinced on CG. He's going to have to prove to me that he can manage at this level.

Is he the next Levy, who was a bust in KC, but a good fit here?

Or is he an offensive Dick Jauron?

Only time will tell.

[YardRat]

It may not show up in the overall record, but we're going to be a better team than last season.

We'll beat teams we're supposed to beat, and be competitive against most everybody else. Getting bigger plus the enhanced emphasis on strength/conditioning = less injuries. At least one team that looks like a sure-fire loss will be a win.

We're probably looking at 5-6 wins again this year, but 8-8 wouldn't surprise me.

[TedMock]

This is the first time I've ever fully expected a 4-5 win season AND am feeling good about the long-term prospects of the team. With very few exceptions we have a very young team and, aside from Maybin, last year's draft was actually decent. New system. I actually like this year's draft overall and think the approach was the right way to go. All but one QB was a project this year and Jones has as much chance as any other project to succeed - 50/50. I don't think Clausen is worth a damn, so I'm glad we ddn't reach. Anthony Davis would have made sense at OT, but Spiller was easily BPA. Plus, Davis is a mean, nasty, athletic tackle who could end up great, but he's also very immature and has weight issues that make him a bigger risk. He's been suspended multiple times including twice last season. I would have like him, but our pick certainly made sense. As for pure NT's, I had one guy ahead of Troup when we took him (Cam Thomas), not that my amateur rankings mean anything. I had Dan Williams as the top pure NT, but he also has a few question marks and he was gone anyway. I was NOT a fan of Cody at all. Wears down too fast for my liking. I like Carrington, didn't know much about Easley, love Moats at that pick, ok with Wang, know nothng about Calloway and love the flyer on Jones.

[BillsWin]

If Gailey is a good head coach, doesn't have to be great just good, and Edwards is a solid defensive coordinator and gets the new scheme to gell quick, and Brohm or Trent play well, this team could win maybe 8 games. MAYBE.

People forget we won 6 games with a truck load of injuries and Jauron as head coach.

[BertSquirtgum]

8-8, without a doubt.

[Night Train]

Matthews is probably close to right about this thru plain blind luck.

His opinion on players and teams are about as credible as my daughters, who also know nothing about the sport.

[AndreReed83]

I think this team has been put together with a more cohesive plan than that of previous years. I also expect the coaching to be more consistent and aggressive.

With that said, I think the plan heavily involves next year's draft. I think the Bills looked at their QB and RB positions and realized they didn't have a true game breaker at either position. So, looking into this draft and the spot they were picking, the Bills FO realized they could get their RB game breaker this season and could wait until next year for the QB game breaker, all the while seeing if Brian Brohm could plant himself as the starter. I think Levi Brown was brought into to develop into a backup. Tebow would have cost too much to get and is too much of a project to be a true game breaker that the Bills are looking for. Clausen and McCoy obviously weren't as highly thought of league-wide as the Mel Kiper's of the world would have us believe.

This entire draft was full of projects for Buffalo. I'm fine with that. As long as Ralph lets the plan go through, I think Buffalo will be much better for it in about three years.

If this team IS going to do better than a 5-11 record, I hope it's a surprise playoff-making season, because otherwise I think I would rather see a try-hard season, with a few nice wins sprinkled throughout, and Buffalo ultimately getting another high pick resulting in a game breaker.

I think going into last season should have been the one to begin the rebuild. Instead Jauron was kept, TO was brought in, and it wasn't until mid-season that Buffalo finally started the clean out. Ralph will put on the brave face this season and say all the right things about winning being first, but I think Buddy Nix and Doug Whaley have both convinced him that a true rebuild is what the team needs.

[Ebenezer]

I'm not wavering. Three wins.

[trapezeus]

our draft wasn't going to change our 2010 record too much.

i know we will suck next year...but i think we put some pieces together to be a better team in the long run. that's the first time i can say that in a really long time.

[wmoz11]

I'm tired of this 7-9, 6-10 crap which makes us miss the playoffs but also miss out on the top-5 of the draft. Let's go 12-4 or 2-14.

[Ingtar33]

I'm leaning toward a repeated 6-10 season... totally worthless and lost. as we'll miss out on a top 10 pick again, suck at QB, and miss out on a franchise signal caller. That's how the Bills roll. (BTW: Locker is by no means guaranteed of being a top 10 pick, or even a 1st round pick...)

[CoolBreeze]

Matthews is probably close to right about this thru plain blind luck.

His opinion on players and teams are about as credible as my daughters, who also know nothing about the sport.

Amen, Bob Matthews has no business having a "sports" show. He only knows horse racing, the over/under, and good bottles of scotch. Roth and Moriana aren't much better.

[griffin]

We lose all 6 of our division games and go 5-5 with the rest. So 5-11 sounds good.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Well, now I see why this board was so ecstatic about the draft picks this weekend. Look at the standards many of you have. I'm not saying it's a good thing or a bad thing (you can probably guess how I feel about it, though), but it's almost impossible to be disappointed when you're coming out pretty much signing off the team to failure-- and you're the fan.

[AndreReed83]

Well, now I see why this board was so ecstatic about the draft picks this weekend. Look at the standards many of you have. I'm not saying it's a good thing or a bad thing (you can probably guess how I feel about it, though), but it's almost impossible to be disappointed when you're coming out pretty much signing off the team to failure-- and you're the fan.

I just think it's being realistic about the team in general. To be a playoff team, they'll have to likely go at least 10-6, yet they are probably the worst team in their division. I just don't see it happening, and they'll be better off for it anyway. Doesn't mean I don't want the team to have success and it certainly stings when they lose.

[jbisset]

i see us winning 2 or 3 games...that's fine if we have a good draft next year and build a solid base for winning teams.

[BertSquirtgum]

there should be some kind of nfl knowledge test before someone is allowed to sign up for this site. too many dummies on here.